In modern motor vehicles, the driver is supported, as he drives the vehicle, by a multiplicity of information items which are made available. For example, it may be helpful to signal to the driver feedback about specific driving states or requests to the driver to take certain measures, in order to be able to increase the safety when driving or the driver's comfort or in order to be able to save fuel. This feedback can be made available in different ways, such as for example optically or acoustically.
In modern motor vehicles, possibilities for haptic feedback to the driver are often additionally also implemented by means of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle. The accelerator pedal is for this purpose equipped with an actuator which makes it possible to apply a force selectively to a pedal lever, to be activated by the driver, of the accelerator pedal.
For example, starting from a certain pedal lever position the actuator can selectively counteract further depression of the pedal lever in order therefore to signal to a driver, for example, that depressing the pedal lever more strongly would bring about a disproportionate increase in the fuel consumption.
Alternatively, the actuator can be used to apply a force to the pedal lever which varies over time, in order to cause said lever to experience oscillations, for example in the form of vibrations or pulsations.
In this way, instructions and warnings can be communicated to the driver through the driver's haptic perception, or else comfort functions can be made available without the driver being distracted, for example, from observing the traffic by optical or acoustic signals.
DE 25 55 429 describes a system for generating tactile or haptically perceptible signals in vehicle.